This invention relates to relatively small, inexpensive disposable flashlights which, due to their size, are capable of being carried in a purse, a pocket, a work case or glove compartment of an automobile, for example. Flashlights of the general type as set forth in this application are certainly quite old in the art. One currently available flashlight of this type is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,869, issued Mar. 12, 1974 to W. S. Stone and comprises a housing having a flexible wall in which is carried a battery holder formed with shallow channels in which a pair of batteries are seated. A light bulb is carried at one end of the housing and includes lead wires extending from the bulb which are soldered or welded to one end of the batteries. One end of a conductive switch wire is held agianst the post at the other end of one of the batteries and the other end of the switch wire is arranged to be adjacent to but normally spaced from an exposed conductive surface of the other battery. When it is desired to light the bulb, the outer flexible wall of the housing is pressed or squeezed, causing the other end of the switch wire to contact the exposed surface of the other battery, completing the circuit between the batteries and the bulb. While the just described flashlight has had some acceptance, it is, however, time consuming and expensive to manufacture, principally because of the many pieces and parts that require assembling to make the unit and the welding of the bulb wires to the batteries.
Another patented flashlight similar to that disclosed above is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,773 to Halliday, Jr. et al, issued June 28, 1977. In this particular patent there is disclosed a light bulb having a pair of leads extending therefrom which are retained in sockets formed as curled ends of clips that engage a non-conductive plate that spans the ends of a pair of batteries. These batteries are held by a non-conductive clip-like member to keep the batteries separated. The bulb is intended to extend through a generally eliptically shaped cover having a hole in the center thereof through which the lens of the bulb may protrude. This cover engages an elongated eliptical housing comparable to the shape of the cover and a similar shaped end cover will close the lower end of the eliptical housing. The housing is indicated as being made of a flexible plastic material. A second non-conductive plate spans the opposite ends of the batteries and carries a clip to complete the circuit when the wire connected to the lower clip actually contacts the bare side of the other battery case. This is accomplished when the flexible wall of the flashlight is squeezed to effect this contact.
Another more recent U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,510, issued Oct. 24, 1978 to Richard J. Halliday, Jr., discloses a similar arrangement to the above mentioned Halliday patent for producing a flashlight of the type in which a flexible, cylindrical casing containing batteries, light bulb and switching means are enclosed with ends closing the cylinder to form a complete unit. This unit is sealed to form a flashlight which is disposable after its battery life has been depleted. In this patent a pair of oppositely turned batteries, both of which are without an insulating cover, are mounted in a non-conductive clip-like holder. One lead from the light bulb is maintained in contact with the wall of one of the batteries by the clip which holds the battery while the other lead from the bulb is soldered to the positive terminal of the other battery. A conductive member extending from the bottom of one of the batteries is intended to complete the circuit through the side wall or cylindrical surface of the other battery in a manner similar to the previously discussed Halliday patent. In this patent, however, the conductive member is much heavier than a wire. Again, the flashlight is made up of a number of elements such that when all of them are combined, the devices are sealed, and a throw-away flashlight is produced. Again, this flashlight, while generally satisfactory in use, still is expensive and time-consuming to manufacture. One of the inherent difficulties with those flashlights previously made is the corrosion of the contact which is used to effect the opening and closing of the circuit. In most of those prior art flashlights of the sealed type, the contact is a wire or member which touches the outer casing of one of the batteries to complete the circuit. Of course, corrosion will render the flashlight unuseable and in those instances where the contact becomes bent to the extent that it will not separate from the batttery, it will remain lit and quickly deplete the included batteries. Since these are sealed units, there is no intent nor would it be economical to replace the batteries or even to repair the unit.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a small, easily carried flashlight that is relatively inexpensive. It is another object of this invention to provide a small flashlight which is easily assembled. It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a small flashlight made from two identical injection molded casing halves such that only a single marginal seal is required to seal the unit.
With the foregoing in view, it is one of the advantages of the present invention that the switch elements are separate elements which have large surface areas and therefore are much less subject to corrosion which would render the contacts inoperative.
Furthermore, it is an object and advantage of the present invention that the casing which makes up the outer portion of the flashlight be formed of two parts of identical shape and configuration. Furthermore, when the batteries, light bulb and elements are fitted within the casing and the two halves sealed together, a complete unit composed of, in total, only nine elements has been formed without requiring soldering or permanent connections during the manufacture therof.
These and other objects will become apparent from the following description .